Talk:Character Guidelines/@comment-28462499-20161023023305
Matthias Braun Basic Information and Physical Description *Species: Human *Gender: Male *Age: 65 *Height: 170cm *Weight: 68kg *Title: The Machinist *Theme: Passionate Inventor Personality For the most part, Matthias is extremely cynical and blunt, yet cool-headed and nonchalant, seemingly uncaring if he's rude to others or not. He is not afraid to make his opinion known, especially if he has a problem with something - occasionally resulting in rather poor decisions. Despite this, however, Matthias is extremely caring and supportive of those close to him - and this includes his creations. While he no longer has any family to speak of, he considers his creation Zer0 Spark to be his actual child - a child he could never have otherwise. In his opinion, the power of choice is a core part of the soul - as such, he even developed two bodies to grant Zer0 the choice of gender. Above all else, Matthias is passionate about his work - considering his creations as much a part of him as his own body - a view only reinforced by the effects of his Spark. He can and has poured his life and soul into his work, ultimately resulting in Zer0 Spark's creation, and the only thing more important to him than the joy to create is his child. Spark - Heart of the Machine Matthias is capable of breathing life into machines - in a very much literal fashion. With his Spark, Matthias can create mechanical constructs and animate them with the Light of his Soul. Matthias can create constructs directly with this power - however, they are severely limited in complexity. The more complex the construct, the longer it takes to animate it - however, constructs will remain animated as long as they have a power source of some description. Generally speaking, Matthias can only create small constructs directly with his power, and needs a source of spare parts. He can use this power to create simple tools and other objects, as well. The true strength of this ability lies not in creating constructs, but giving life to existing ones. More complex creations can be animated if they are assembled beforehand - and the more Matthias involves himself in their assembly, the easier it is to animate. Such constructs can seemingly exhibit intelligence, though most of the time Matthias simply installs a small computer chip and basic programming to do so. The most notable example of this power is when Matthias built Zer0 Spark and gave life to them - pouring his life and soul into his creation, giving it a soul of its own. Skills, Abilities, and Equipment As one might expect, Matthias is a brilliant inventor and tinkerer, with an extreme affinity for robotics and artificial intelligence. However, his mechanical skills extend to virtually any machine or creation, from simple tools to fully-developed androids. Matthias's academic knowledge is in robotics, and artificial intelligence design, having a Ph.D in both. However, he also has considerable knowledge regarding all forms of engineering, particularly electrical engineering, chemistry, and advanced physics, though he does not have any formal degree in any such fields. As Matthias worked for military organizations in the past, he has significant combat abilities and experience, primarily in perimeter defense from the many beasts that run rampant on Eden. He is well-known for rapidly building explosives and automated turrets with the aid of his Spark, as well as an incredible skill with pistols. As a trained Awakened, Matthias's physical abilities are formidable, though they pale in comparison to his mind. This applies despite him being sixty five years old, as he is sustained by the Light of his Soul, slowing down the aging process significantly. Backstory Matthias was born in Meropis, and has lived there all his life, save for the occasional trip to Tripura and Nazareth. From a young age he was fascinated by machines and inventions, and originally intended on dedicating his life to improving quality of life across the globe. However, right before he entered university, the city was assailed by the largest incursion of beasts and monsters ever seen since the War in Heaven itself. Matthias was fortunate enough to have Awakened his Spark not too long beforehand, and was experimenting with it when the attack began. Immediately, he joined up with the city's military, using his power to create munitions, automated defenses, and anything else the city required to protect it. The attack lasted ten days, Matthias keeping himself awake the entire time before collapsing just as the attack ended. Unfortunately, the rest of his rather small family had been killed in the attack - leaving him on his own. He remained with the perimeter defense force for nearly a decade, before leaving it voluntarily to pursue his own goals. Aftewards, Matthias attended the University of Meropis, funding himself primarily through commissions and inventions, pursuing robotics and artificial intelligence design. He never let his skillset from his military service dull, keeping himself in shape and making certain that his skills never dulled from lack of use. Ultimately, his skill and knowledge was put to use in his greatest creation - the android known as Zer0 Spark. Pouring his life and soul into his work, Matthias created life in a very much literal sense - his creation manifesting a soul early in its development. He considers Zer0 to be the child he never had - the last member of his long lost family.